Toyota Highlander vs. Lexus RX 300
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX 300 contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Toyota Highlander and the Lexus RX 300.
When comparing the Toyota Highlander's and the Lexus RX 300's specifications and ratings, the Toyota Highlander has the advantage in the area of fuel efficiency. The Lexus RX 300 has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars and base engine power. Based on this comparison of the Toyota Highlander's and the Lexus RX 300's specifications and ratings, the Lexus RX 300 is a better car than the Toyota Highlander.
Pricing: A used 2003 Toyota Highlander ranges from $3,500 to $9,810 while a used 2003 Lexus RX 300 is priced between $2,528 to $8,997.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Toyota Highlander’s base engine makes 155 horsepower, and the Lexus RX 300 base engine makes 220 horsepower. The Highlander is rated to deliver an average of 22 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 475 miles. The RX 300 is rated to deliver an average of 18 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 399 miles. This gives the Toyota Highlander the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Lexus RX 300. Both models use gasoline.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX 300 are comparable in regards to front leg room, rear shoulder room and rear leg room.
Safety Ratings: The Toyota Highlander has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
24390
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Midsize SUVs)
24461
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Midsize SUVs)
16825 - 28739
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
35700
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
N/A
Category Starting MSRP Range:
N/A
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
6165
Price Range:
3500 - 9810
Category Avg Price:
(Midsize SUVs)
6207
Category Avg Price Range:
(Midsize SUVs)
4626 - 12420
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
40
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
167575
# Good or Great Deals:
8
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
5859
Price Range:
2528 - 8997
Category Avg Price:
N/A
Category Avg Price Range:
N/A
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
6
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
162495
# Good or Great Deals:
2
Toyota Highlander Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.5 / 10
Reliability:
8.1 / 10
Retained Value:
8.3 / 10
Safety:
9.0 / 10
Lexus RX 300 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Toyota Highlander
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Lexus RX 300
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
2.336988799894236
Typical Category Recalls:
(Midsize SUVs)
2.7
Category Range for Recalls:
(Midsize SUVs)
1.0 - 15.6
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
0.878988548723322
Typical Category Recalls:
N/A
Category Range for Recalls:
N/A
Toyota Highlander Rankings
Ranking
1 out of / 17Ranking
1 out of / 17Ranking
1 out of / 16Ranking
1 out of / 16Ranking
1 out of / 10Ranking
1 out of / 10Ranking
3 out of / 67Ranking
3 out of / 34Ranking
3 out of / 34Ranking
3 out of / 34Ranking
3 out of / 32Ranking
3 out of / 32Ranking
3 out of / 30Ranking
4 out of / 67Ranking
4 out of / 34Ranking
4 out of / 32Ranking
4 out of / 28Ranking
5 out of / 34Ranking
5 out of / 32Ranking
5 out of / 32Ranking
6 out of / 67Ranking
6 out of / 34Ranking
6 out of / 32Ranking
7 out of / 67Ranking
9 out of / 67Ranking
10 out of / 32Ranking
11 out of / 32Ranking
12 out of / 67Ranking
13 out of / 67Ranking
13 out of / 30Ranking
14 out of / 32Ranking
14 out of / 32Ranking
15 out of / 67Ranking
16 out of / 67Ranking
16 out of / 34Ranking
17 out of / 34Ranking
17 out of / 28Ranking
18 out of / 34Ranking
19 out of / 32Ranking
20 out of / 32Ranking
21 out of / 56Ranking
24 out of / 34Ranking
25 out of / 34Ranking
26 out of / 67Ranking
27 out of / 34Ranking
27 out of / 32Ranking
28 out of / 34Ranking
30 out of / 67Ranking
32 out of / 67Ranking
36 out of / 67Ranking
47 out of / 56Lexus RX 300 Rankings
Available Body Styles
SUV
Available Body Styles
SUV
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Toyota Highlander Trim Levels
Base, Limited
Lexus RX 300 Trim Levels
Base
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
6 years / 70000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
155 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque:
163 foot-lbs @ 4000 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.044 hp per pound
Towing capacity:
3000 lbs
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
220 hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque:
222 foot-lbs @ 4400 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.059 hp per pound
Towing capacity:
3500 lbs
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2.4 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD / AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
19 / 25 / 22
Range (city/hwy):
361 / 475 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
3 liters
Engine Configuration:
V
Number of Cylinders:
6
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD / AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
17 / 21 / 18
Range (city/hwy):
323 / 399 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Standard/Optional Features
Bench Seats:
Standard
Captain's seat:
Standard
Alloy wheels:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Keyless Entry:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Roof Rack:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Trailer Hitch:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Bluetooth:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Keyless Ignition:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Navigation System:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Power outlet:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Satellite radio:
N/A
Voice Recognition:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Bench Seats:
Standard
Captain's seat:
N/A
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Heated Seats
Available
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Roof Rack:
N/A
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Standard
Trailer Hitch:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Bluetooth:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Keyless Ignition:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Navigation System:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Power outlet:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Satellite radio:
N/A
Voice Recognition:
Available
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
40 inches
Front Leg Room:
40.7 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
57.9 inches
Rear Head Room:
39.8 inches
Rear Leg Room:
36.4 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
57 inches
Cargo Space:
Not yet available
Cargo Space, 2nd-row seat folded down:
Not yet available
Overall Interior Volume:
Not yet available
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.1 inches
Front Leg Room:
40.7 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
57.8 inches
Rear Head Room:
38.6 inches
Rear Leg Room:
36.4 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
57 inches
Cargo Space:
Not yet available
Cargo Space, 2nd-row seat folded down:
Not yet available
Overall Interior Volume:
Not yet available
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3485 lbs
Width:
71.9 inches
Height:
66.1 inches
Length:
184.4 inches
Wheelbase:
106.9 inches
Ground Clearance:
6.9 inches
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3715 lbs
Width:
71.5 inches
Height:
65.7 inches
Length:
180.1 inches
Wheelbase:
103.1 inches
Ground Clearance:
7.7 inches
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 inches
Wheel Type:
steel
Tire Size:
P225/70R16
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
P225/70R16
Exterior Colors
Black
Black
Blue
Bluestone Metallic / Indigo Ink Pearl
Gold
Vintage Gold Metallic
Green
Electric Green Mica
Red
Sundown Red Pearl
Silver
Millennium Silver Metallic
White
Super White
Exterior Colors
Black
Black Onyx
Blue
Blue Vapor Metallic / Indigo Ink Pearl
Gold
Burnished Gold Metallic
Green
Mineral Green Opalescent / Woodland Pearl
Red
Not available
Silver
Millennium SIlver Metallic
White
White Gold Crystal
Interior Colors
Gray
Charcoal
White
Ivory
Black
Not available
Interior Colors
Gray
Not available
White
Ivory
Black
Black
